1. Field of the Invention
The Invention relates to dental wedges to be employed in connection with dental medical treatment and restoration of hollow spaces between neighboring teeth associated with caries.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
If the part of a tooth is to be restored, which part contacted a neighboring tooth prior to affection with caries, then it is required to delimit hand to support the filling material during the entering into the hollow space and during the following hardening such that the filling material can adapt exactly to the healthy part of the tooth. It is usual for this purpose to place a matrix band around the tooth to be treated and to pull fast, such that the matrix band can so to speak replace the destroyed part of the tooth wall during treatment. For the matrix band to fulfill its function, the matrix band has to be approached as far possible to the shape of the tooth and has to be fixed in the position such that the filling material brought in finally corresponds to the outer face of the healthy tooth and does not protrude and where recesses can form, which recesses favor anew the formation of caries. A dental wedge is pressed between the neighboring teeth and the gums for this purpose, wherein the dental wedge presses and wedges the matrix band against the tooth to be treated and simultaneously also presses the teeth somewhat apart. It is therewith accomplished that, if after finished treatment the matrix band is again removed, the teeth can support again each other mutually by returning into their starting position and the space previously claimed by the matrix band does not remain as a gap or as a slot opening.
Typically, dental wedges have a conical, long extended shape and a triangular or also V-shaped cross-section. The dental wedge has to be absolutely immovable in its position between two teeth during a tooth treatment and therefore has to be pressed with a force, usually generated with the aid of a special instrument, between the teeth, until the dental wedge is maintained in position between the two teeth based on friction. The dental wedges are offered also in different sizes such that the selection can be made corresponding to the respective anatomy.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,210 describes dental wedges, wherein the side view of the dental wedges is comparable to a long extended, pointed converging triangle and the wherein the cross-section of the dental wedges resembles a turned over V, that is downwardly open, that is where the dental wedge comes to touch with the interdental papilla. By providing in this manner the larger elasticity to the side walls, the introduction of the dental wedges between two teeth is to be alleviated, the support of the dental wedges between the two teeth is improved and an adaptation as exact as possible to the form of the teeth, also at cavities, as well as the restoration after the removal at the end of the treatment is achieved. The side faces are to be structured by being furnished with a corrugation or with notches. This is to increase again the support of the side faces between the teeth. The dental wedges exhibit a dice shaped prolongation at their broad end disposed remote from the tip, wherein the dental wedges can be gripped at the dice shape prolongation with a suitable instrument, for example a forceps and can be pressed with a sufficient force between two teeth in order to find the required support. The two lower longitudinal edges are obtusely angled off at about half their length, whereby a better adaptation to the anatomy of a patient is to be accomplished.
It is a disadvantage of these dental wedges that the wedge effect is decreased based on the downwardly open shape. Corrugations or notches at the side faces are acting opposingly to an optimal adaptation to the anatomic situation different in each treatment case. It is also perceived to be disadvantageous that a particular forceps is required for the introduction of these dental wedges.
This latter recited disadvantage is avoided according to the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 004/0014006 A1, where it is taught to furnish each dental wedge through a constriction or necking with a formed on actuating rod, that is the two parts are formed as a single part. The rod can as desired be angled off or bent off at the constriction or necking for the actuating. The actuating rod is broken off and thrown away after the pressing in of the dental wedge into the interdental space. This means a tremendous waste of material; the actuating rod has to be formed comparatively long and also forceful in comparison with the proper dental wedge such that the required force can be exerted onto the dental wedge with the actuating rod during pressing in. It can prove to be a disadvantage that the actuating rod can be angled off or bent off at the constriction, since the force vector in push direction is thereby reduced.
The dental wedge itself comprises two sections with a different cross-sectional shape. The cross-section of the first, front section has the shape of a triangle, wherein the side faces are arched concavely inwardly and run toward each other in a longitudinal direction toward a rounded off tip and wherein the tip is bent upwardly. The wedge transitions into a section with trapezoidal cross-section at the end of the first, front section disposed remote from the tip. This section with trapezoidal cross-section is to spread additionally the teeth upon introduction into an interdentium. Furthermore thereto joins still a preferably cuboid shaped prolongation, also set off by a constriction, wherein the above recited actuating rod is formed finally at the cuboid shape prolongation. The wedge can, after the treatment of the teeth, be gripped with a forceps and removed after a prior breaking off of the actuating rod. This means that also according to this proposal of a dental wedge with formed on, but breakable off actuating rod, the dentist finally cannot get along without a further instrument, and the further instrument necessary is the recited prolongation as a connection piece between the proper dental wedge and the actuating rod. The overall shape with the different sections and parts becomes therewith complicated and expensive in production.